Electrical generator sets may be used to provide electrical power to a location without electricity. Exemplary uses for generator sets include providing electrical power for military site operations, outdoor festivals and concerts. Various types of generator sets exist, such as diesel, gas, natural gas, and turbine generator sets. Mobile generator sets are of particular importance to military operations in which power is required for a remote military village or other military operations.
To promote proper operation of a generator set, most generator sets contain some type of control panel that allows an operator to view information about the set's performance, such as the voltage output level. Most control panels also allow an operator to control the operation of the generator set, such as increasing or decreasing the output voltage level by toggling a switch on the control panel. Prior art generator sets have an analog, electro-mechanical display and control system. More specifically, prior art generator sets display information, such as voltage output level, to operators on analog gauges. Also, prior art control panels only allow operators to control the operation of a generator set by interacting with electromechanical switches. Analog controller systems are widely used in the control of electrical generator sets.
An example of a prior art generator set having an analog, electromechanical display and control devices is generator set Model # ECU-110 E/A built by MCII, Inc., of Dallas, Tex. The ECU-110 generator set is a 250 KW generator set. The analog, electromechanical display and control device (i.e., control panel) for the ECU- 110 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the prior art control panel contains an Hourmeter 2 which operates much like an odometer on an automobile. Hourmeter 2 indicates the total accumulated operating time of the generator set in hours and tenths of hours. Output voltmeter 3 is an analog meter that indicates the line-to-neutral voltage on a 0-150 volts AC scale for the phase selected with the output voltmeter/ammeter selector switch 20. Output Ammeter 4 is an analog meter that indicates the total output current on a 0-1000 Amperes AC scale for the phase selected with the output voltmeter/ammeter selector switch 20.
POWER ON light 5 illuminates when supply power to the generator set is available for starting the unit. MOTOR ON light 6 illuminates when starting the motor and after the motor is started to indicate that the motor is operating. GEN. READY light 7 illuminates when the generator set is ready to accept a load. INPUT POWER FAULT light 8 illuminates when there is an input power fault. Faults that will illuminate the light are: (a) Ground Fault, (b) Reverse Phase Sequence, (c) Over or Under Input Voltage, and (d) Motor Overload. After the fault is corrected, the fault circuit must be cleared with the fault RESET switch 11.
OVERHEAT light 9 illuminates when the motor overheats, which will shut down the generator set. GENERATOR OVER VOLTAGE light 10.sub.A will illuminate when the generator set's output voltage rises above safe operating limits. GENERATOR UNDER VOLTAGE light 10.sub.B will illuminate when the generator set's output voltage falls below safe operating limits. Either of these conditions will disconnect the generator set from the load.
Fault RESET switch 11 is used to clear the input fault circuit after an input fault has occurred, and the INPUT POWER FAULT light 8 is illuminated. After the fault has been corrected, depressing Fault RESET switch 11 will clear the input fault circuit. Overheat RESET switch 12 is used to clear the temperature fault circuit after an overheat condition has occurred and the OVERHEAT light 9 is illuminated. After the fault has been corrected, depressing Overheat RESET switch 12 will clear the temperature fault circuit. OV-UV RESET switch 13 is used to clear the over or under voltage circuit after an over or under voltage condition has occurred, and either the GENERATOR OVER VOLTAGE light 10.sub.A or the GENERATOR UNDER VOLTAGE light 10.sub.B is illuminated. After the condition has been corrected, depressing OV-UV RESET switch 13 will clear the over or under voltage circuit. SHORT CKT. RESET switch 14 is used to clear the fault circuitry after a short has occurred and the condition has been corrected.
60 HZ RECEPT Circuit Breaker 15 is a circuit breaker that protects the convenience receptacle from excessive current. Depressing this circuit breaker will restore the circuit after the circuit breaker has been tripped by excessive current. VOLT. ADJ. Control 16 adjusts automatic voltage regulation over a range of -10 to +10 percent of rated voltage. Turning the control clockwise increases the output voltage for the generator set. LINE DROP ADJ. Control 17 increases the output voltage from 0 to 7.5 percent of rated voltage to compensate for voltage drop from the generator to the load caused by impedance of the load wires. Turning the control clockwise increases the output voltage.
MOTOR START pushbutton 18 will start the motor when depressed and cause MOTOR ON light 6 to illuminate. MOTOR STOP pushbutton 19 will stop the motor when depressed and cause MOTOR ON light 6 to go out. Output Voltmeter/Ammeter Selector switch 20 is a four-position rotary switch. The switch provides the selection of line-to-neutral voltage and current indications for any one of the three output phases of the generator. The indications for the phase selected will appear on the Voltmeter 3 and Ammeter 4. When the switch is turned to the OFF position, the Voltmeter 3 and Ammeter 4 indications will be 0.
SENSING REMOTE/LOCAL switch 21 is a two-position toggle switch. When the switch is placed in the LOCAL position, the voltage regulator will sense output voltage at the generator set's output, and when the switch is placed in the REMOTE position, the voltage regulator will sense output voltage at the load. REG. CKT. BKR. 22 is the Regulator Circuit Breaker, which protects the voltage regulator from an overload. When the circuit breaker is tripped the generator exciter field current is interrupted, which causes the output voltage to collapse. The circuit breaker may be reset by pushing REG. CKT. BKR. 22 inward. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR OPEN light 23, when illuminated, indicates that the main output contactor is open. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR CLOSED light 24, when illuminated, indicates that the main output contactor is closed, supplying output power to the load. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR OVERCURRENT TRIP light 25, when illuminated, indicates that the main output contactor is tripped and the generator is shutdown.
312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR ON 26 pushbutton will close the main output contactor when depressed, supplying output power to the load and causing the CLOSED light 24 to illuminate. 312 KVA OUTPUT CONTACTOR OFF pushbutton 27 will open the main output contactor and disconnect the generator from the load when depressed, which will cause OPEN light 23 to illuminate. PANEL LIGHTS ON/OFF switch 28 is a two-position toggle switch. Placing the switch in the ON position will illuminate the 2 hooded panel lights 29, and placing the switch in the OFF position will tun the panel lights 29 off. LOAD BANK ON/OFF switch 30 bypasses the output contactors sensing contacts when placed in the ON position, which allows the output contactors to be manually controlled for load bank testing. The switch is placed in the OFF position for normal operation.
CABLE OVERLOAD RESET switch 31 clears any of the 4 OVERCURRENT TRIP lights 34 when depressed. 90 KVA OUTPUT CABLE CONTACTORS OPEN lights 32 indicate when any of the 4 individual contactors are open by illuminating each light associated with an open contactor. 90 KVA OUTPUT CABLE CONTACTORS CLOSED lights 33 indicate when any of the 4 individual contactors are closed by illuminating each light associated with a closed contactor. 90 KVA OUTPUT CABLE CONTACTORS OVERCURRENT TRIP lights 34 indicate when any of the 4 individual contactors are tripped by illuminating each light associated with a tripped contactor. CONTACTOR ON/OFF/RUN switches 35 are each a three-position toggle switch, and they are used to open and close the 4 individual contactors. The switch must be held in the ON position for 5 seconds to close the contactor to supply output power to the load, and then when the switch is released it will return automatically to the RUN position. When switch is placed in the OFF position it will open the contactor and remain in the OFF position.
The above describes a prior art analog, electromechanical control panel in conjunction with a generator set in order to illustrate the analog display gauges, mechanical switches, and other electromechanical devices contained on such prior art analog control panels in general.
Also, attempts have been made at providing a digital controller for an electrical generator set. For example, Schultz et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,208 provides for a microprocessor based, integrated control system for an electrical generator set.